-- afraid of the clout of the nra. other measures like increased background checks or banning magazines have strong backing with the american public. >> many european scratch their heads at the mention of american gun laws. how do you explain the fascination america seems to have with guns? >> there's a lot of aspects to it. obviously, there is a culture of violence in the united states. there's a strong military culture in the united states. having said that, the argument you hear most often and that most people often believe, at least those who have guns, is that guns are a symbol of freedom. those are the people -- and believe me, there are lots of them -- who say that any attempt on the government to manage their lives is an assault on freedom. usually people who think that do not really question the argument, although it is obviously not a sound argument. the simplest way -- the simplest way of explaining this is that the freedom of some to possess these military weapons really restricts the freedom of many. just